The present invention relates to shift-lever devices for use in automatic transmissions for motor vehicles, and particularly, to supports for plate springs for giving restrained feel upon shift operation.
The shift-lever device is a device that ensures shifting to a desired position through a shift lever moved lengthwise with respect to a vehicular body. Upon shift operation, the shift-lever device gives a restrained feel.
Specifically, the shift lever is rotatably supported through a shank to a casing fixed to the vehicular body. A plate spring has one end connected through a bracket to the shift lever by a bolt/nut, etc., and another end pressed on a wavy surface of a groove of a restraining block arranged with a side wall of the casing. When operating the shift lever, another end of the plate spring is moved over the wavy surface of the groove. A resistance produced at that time forms a source of restrained feel.
With the known shift-lever device, however, the plate spring is connected to the shift lever by a bolt/nut, etc., increasing the number of parts and assembling work, resulting in lowered assembling efficiency and increased manufacturing cost. Moreover, due to the fact that the restraining block is fixed to the casing, and the plate spring is moved with elastic deformation together with the shift lever, the plate spring, which works frequently during vehicular cruising, may have reduced strength and durability, having a problem of possible breakdown.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide shift-lever devices that allow an improvement of the assembling efficiency, and a reduction in manufacturing cost.